In our final Futures Friday of the year, here is a quick run-down for you on the state of play at the top of British Motocross after a week of extraordinary developments.
Words: Ben Rumbold, Featured Image: ajw.mx.photos
With Arenacross just around the corner, the teams announced for the indoor series gave us some clues as to what may lie ahead in the paddocks for the Dirt Store British Championship and Motul Fastest 40. There seems to have been a pause in developments for the Nora Pro Championship, with just Phoenix Tools/Even Strokes Kawasaki and Chambers Racing announced for that series, although it’s likely that SC Sporthomes Husqvarna will be there too. It has just been announced that the series will have all 6 rounds in the UK rather than two overseas, “with the Netherlands on hold until 2025”. Oakhanger and Oxford Moto Parc are two of the six tracks that have been chosen “that you can only ride in the NPC”. Live television footage, as well as those European tracks, are touted to appear in 2025.
That team will also race Arenacross with Charlie Putnam and John Adamson, suggesting that the Scottish Champion will be lining up for the team that he also raced for in America in 2023. Neil Prince has told us that he will make a full announcement soon, although Tristan Purdon has confirmed that he will move to them after leaving Gabriel SS24 KTM.
SR75 Suzuki will run Jake Shipton in Arenacross and “selected British events” the exact details weren’t announced. Ike Carter will race AX with Mark Chamberlain’s Armor Vision team, and it would be good to see the former teen prodigy step back into national Motocross racing again.
The biggest news of the week came with the shock withdrawal of Revo GASGAS Racing. One of the biggest rigs in the paddock, set up to be an official satellite team, had one of its biggest financial supporters back out of the squad, leaving not enough budget to race MXGP and the British Champs with Brian Bogers as planned. Quite what the Dutchman will do is unknown, but their promising MX2 rider and big British hope Billy Askew has landed seamlessly at Big Van World MTX Kawasaki, as Steve Dixon’s team keeps him in green, which may work well as it keeps “Little Bill” on familiar machinery as he takes to adult racing full time.
Ethan Lane, the son of the backer that pulled out, is another mystery for 2024 so we shall have to wait and see where he lands.
He will race alongside Bobby Bruce and Jack Chambers, and although Bruce is cited to do the British Champs again, other series won’t be possible due to the GP commitments. Chambers raced a few British Championship races last year but it hasn’t been confirmed if they will be loading the #12 into the truck for the opening round at Lyng, where he won in 2023. His focus will certainly be on GPs.
Elsewhere, Sam Nunn surprisingly withdrew from the Chambers Racing team, saying he would be doing his own thing, although nothing is certain yet.
There’s good news for two second-year riders in MX2 who have picked up some support – Joe Brookes could be a dark horse for the 426 Motorsports team, who have taken Conrad Mewse and Isak Gifting to the last two British MX2 titles. James Barker, along with his younger sister Lucy, has also been drafted by the new AVT Campers KTM team. James will race British MX2 and EMX250 rounds while Lucy attacks the European and World Women’s Championship, on a 250 for the first time.
Another second year racer with huge promise, Charlie Heyman, is still yet to be announced even though we know he won’t be back at the Tru7 Honda Racing Academy.
Verde Shiloh KTM and ASA United GASGAS are still staying quiet, although with Dylan Woodcock racing Arenacross it might be possible to see him settle into the British season that he saw the end of last year with Verde.
Liam Knight put a pic of himself on the Gabriel KTM onto his social media account – “We’ll be back soon” with a handshake emoji – does this mean he’ll be with them again in 2024? He wasn’t in the Gabriel SS24 announcement, but then he wasn’t part of that team, just got some support direct from Gabriel themselves in 2023.
See below for the full list of last year’s top runners plus new additions that we know of, and then a quick summary of the Ashbrook Hawkstone International Powered by Syntol entries that have already been announced.
MX1:
1. Conrad Mewse – Confirmed as staying with Crendon Fastrack Honda.
2. Josh Gilbert – Confirmed as moving from Crendon Fastrack Honda to Gabriel SS24 KTM
3. Harri Kullas – Racing Arenacross & Hawkstone with FUS Marsh Husqvarna, but says that the deal is “winter only”.
4. Tristan Purdon – Confirmed as moving from Gabriel SS24 KTM to SC Sporthomes Husqvarna.
5. John Adamson – ran a PW Racing KTM for winter, 2024 Unannounced but racing Arenacross with SC Sporthomes Husqvarna.
6. Evgeny Bobryshev – Unannounced, possibly staying with SC Sporthomes Husqvarna?
7. Jamie Carpenter – Confirmed as racing on his own JC184 KTM team.
8. Brad Todd – Confirmed as staying on a private Honda with support from Apico and Bikesport Honda, but looking for more sponsors!.
9. Tom Grimshaw – Confirmed as moving from Chambers Racing to Apico Honda.
10. Tommy Searle – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki in MX1.
11. Liam Knight – Unannounced, possibly staying with Gabriel KTM?
12. Ashton Dickinson – Unannounced, possibly staying with TALK Templant KTM?
13. Ivo Monticelli – Confirmed as leaving the UK to race for Beta in MXGP & Italy.
14. Martin Barr – Confirmed as staying with Apico Factory Racing as they move to Honda.
15. Shaun Simpson – Confirmed as staying with Gabriel SS24 KTM but as Team Manager only
16. Stuart Edmonds – Unannounced, possibly staying on a private Honda with S Briggs Commercials?
17. Jason Meara – Confirmed as staying with Moto-Cycle GASGAS.
18. Dan Thornhill – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
19. Miro Sihvonen – Unannounced, but likely to be moving away from British racing.
20. Callum Green – Confirmed as moving from TRU7 Honda to Crendon Fastrack Honda.
MX2:
1. Isak Gifting – Confirmed as moving to MXGP with JK Racing, unlikely to be racing in the UK.
2. Taylor Hammal – Confirmed as moving to TRU7 Honda Racing Academy in MX2
3. Elliott Banks-Browne – Confirmed as staying in MX2 with SC Sporthomes Husqvarna.
4. Bobby Bruce – Confirmed as joining Big Van World MTX Kawasaki in the British & World MX2 Championships.
5. Jamie Wainwright – Unannounced, possibly staying with his own family-backed KTM team?
6. Carlton Husband – Confirmed as staying in MX2 with Phoenix Tools Even Strokes Kawasaki.
7. Charlie Heyman – leaving TRU7 Honda, destination unannounced.
8. Sam Nunn – Was going to Chambers Racing, now switched to a private set-up.
9. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku – Confirmed as leaving SC Sporthomes Husqvarna for AMA racing.
10. Charlie Cole – Confirmed as staying in MX2, moving from Blades Bikes to Phoenix Tools Even Strokes Kawasaki.
11. Ben Mustoe – Unannounced, possibly staying with ASA United GASGAS?
12. Joel Rizzi – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki.
13. Jack Chambers – Confirmed as staying with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki, uncertain about British Champs.
14. Mel Pocock – Confirmed with Dirt Store Kawasaki.
15. Glenn McCormick – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
16. Jake Millward – Unannounced, possibly staying with Verde Shiloh KTM?
17. Ben Franklin – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
18. Bailey Johnston – Unannounced, possibly staying with Verde Shiloh KTM?
19. Joe Brookes – Confirmed as moving to 426 Motorsports KTM.
20. Tommy Searle – see MX1!
21. James Barker – Confirmed with new team AVT Campers KTM.
22. Alfie Jones – Confirmed as staying with Chambers Racing.
23. Dylan Walsh – Confirmed in AMA Supercross with Host Grindstone Kawasaki.
NEW ARRIVAL – Billy Askew – Confirmed with Big Van World MTX Kawasaki.
NEW ARRIVAL – Cas Valk – Confirmed with Gabriel SS24 KTM
BACK INTO MX2 – Steven Clarke – Confirmed with SAS TPC KTM.
BACK FROM INJURY – Ollie Colmer – Confirmed with K-Tech Aristocars KTM
POSSIBLE WILDCARD – Calum Mitchell – Confirmed with Lexa Racing but only competing at “selected” British events.
Hawkstone:
MX1:
Jeffrey Herlings
Romain Febvre
Brent van Doninck
Adam Sterry
Henru Jacobi
Glenn Coldenhoff
Roan van de Moosdijk
Conrad Mewse
Harri Kullas
Josh Gilbert
Jamie Carpenter
MX2:
Andrea Adamo
Liam Everts
Scott Smulders
Cas Valk
